Blatt



UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY M. ROSENBLATT, CLARENCE A. DICKSON, AND THOMAS G. OWEN, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SAID DICKSON AND OWEN ASSIGNORS TO SAID ROSEN BLATT.

SPRING FOR MEDICINE-CASES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,136, dated February7, 1893.

Application led July 19, 1892. Serial No. 440,487. (No model.)

To a/ZZ wir/0111, t may concern.:

Be it known that we, HARRY M. ROSEN- BLATT, CLARENCE A. Dickson, andTHOMAS G. OWEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago,Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Springsfor Medicine-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to improve ro the springs by whichbottles, vials, and instruments of various kinds are arranged and heldin place in medicine cases; and our improvement consists in the featuresand combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings` Figure 1 is a perspective view of a medicine caseopened to expose some vials held in place by our improved springs; Fig.2 is a side elevation of one of the partitions or trays in which thebottles, zo vials or instruments are arranged; and Fig. 3

is a perspective View of one of our improved springs.

Heretofore in makingprovision for arranging and carrying vials, bottles,instruments, ttc., in medicine cases,it has been customary to take asheet of metal, usually brass, of the desired length and width, and tostrike out from it the desired number of pieces, which, for convenience,may be termed ngers, as 3o they have a holding capacity, possessing theamount of resiliency contained in the sheet metal from which they arestruck, and between which the bottles or instruments are placed andclamped to be held in position. 3 5 This arrangement of holding devicesis open to the objection that when one of the fingers is broken oit, itsholding capacity is not only destroyed, but it is impracticable torepair it. The ngers and sheet metal are weakened by 4o striking out thengers, and the expense of preparing the plate containing them is alsoconsiderable, While the metal surface of the sheet presents too brightand glaring an effectto the eye. W'e propose to obviate these objectionsand to make springsthat are sim- -ple and economical of construction,attractive in appearance, easily inserted, and removable if broken orimpaired to admit of the substitution of new ones in their place, andcapable 5o of being changed to accommodate vials, bottles or instrumentsof different sizes.

In making our improved springs for medicine cases, we take strips ofmetal of the desired width and thickness, and containing the requisiteresiliency, and strike or bend up, what we call U-shaped springs A. Thehold- `ing fingers of these springs are preferably bent in a little attheir juncture with the connecting portion, and flared out alittle attheir ends, as at a, so that when they are inserted formed ofpasteboard, leather, or other de,

siredmaterial, and provide it with the desired number of slits C,arranged preferably in rows, and of a distance apart to accommodate theU -shaped springs of the desired size, so that when the spring isinserted,its two projecting members or ingers pass through the slitsand, by clamping the pad, securely hold the spring in place, with itsconnecting portion resting upon the back of the pad between the twoslits. The free portions or 1ingers of the springs will thus project upor out from the pad the desired distance to accommodate a bottle, vial,instrument, or other thing that it may be desired to insert betweenthem. The distance between the freev members of the springs should be alittle less than the width of the bottle or other thing intended to beinserted between them, so that they will be sprung apart enough to causethem to grasp and clamp it with sufficient force to prevent it fallingout or being too readilyremoved. As many rows of slits in the back orpad on which the springs are mounted may be made as desired, so as tohave as many rows of springs as may be necessary for the purpose. Wehave shown in Fig. 2, two rows of springs, the springs of one rowalternating with the springs of the other row. In this way, we are ableto utilize all of the space, so

that the bottles or other things may lie prac- IOO in the pad or supportat different distances apart, or by providing additional slits to theones occupied by the free members or fingers of the springs, springs ofdifferent sizes may be inserted when the pad is prepared, or springs maybe removed and others of different size inserted in their place, toaccommodate larger or smaller bottles or instruments. It will thus beseen that our improved springs for medicine cases possess advantagesover those Which are provided by striking out the fingers from a blanksheet of metal; in that they are simple and economical of construction,more attractive in appearance, possess greater strength and durability,hold themselves in place on the back or pad, may be of different sizes,and are adapted to be removed and others inserted in their places whenbroken or impaired.

Vhat We regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In medicine cases, the combination of a pad or support provided withslits, and U- shaped springs having their free portions or fingers passthrough the slits in the pad or support, substantially as described.

2. In medicine cases, the combination of a pad or support provided withslits, and U- shaped springs having their free portions or lingers passthrough the slits in the pad or support toA hold them in place andhaving outwardly flaringends,substantiallyasdescribed.

HARRY M. ROSENBLATT. CLARENCE A. DGKSON. THOMAS G. OWEN.

W'itnesses:

HARRY S. HUNGERFORD, SAMUEL E. HIBBEN.

